Huge storm to hit Philippines
Pastor Dale Morgan
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*Huge storm to hit Philippines*
From correspondents in Manila
May 17, 2008 06:47pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse
TROPICAL storm Halong gained strength as it approached the northern
Philippines and was expected to hit land late today, the government
weather station said.
The storm was about 130 kilometres west of Iba on the main northern
island of Luzon at 1030am local time and moving northeast at 19
kilometres per hour, it said.
It was expected to hit the coastal Luzon province of Ilocos Sur late
Saturday and cross the northern tip of Luzon.
The storm was packing maximum winds of 105 kilometres per hour near the
centre with gusts of up to 135 kilometres per hour, the weather station
said.
The highest level of a three-step storm alert has been raised for Ilocos
Sur and its neighbouring provinces north of Manila. Lower level alerts
were in force over the rest of Luzon including the Philippine capital.
Halong has already brought unseasonally heavy rains to Luzon and the
central islands, resulting in floods that left two women dead on the
island of Negros and forced thousands to flee their homes earlier this week.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who is also head of civil defence,
said it was unusual for a storm to hit in May and warned people to take
adequate precautions.
Civil defence spokesman Anthony Golez said local governments had already
been told to prepare for the storm and that coastal communities were
being put on alert to watch out for storm surges or flashfloods.